The Scaling Podcast With Aaron Harper The Franchise Growth Reality Check With Shaina Denny | The Scaling Podcast EP 19
Aug 20, 2025
Shaina Denny, founder of Dog Drop, shares her journey in creating a tech-enabled dog daycare that thrives on convenience and community. She discusses the key challenges in scaling a franchise, emphasizing the importance of in-house technology and strong franchisor–franchisee partnerships. Shaina offers insights into member acquisition through multifamily partnerships and explains her unique fundraising approach. She also highlights the value of authenticity in marketing and the necessity of a measured growth plan to ensure lasting success.
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White Space In Dog Daycare
- There was no dominant household brand in dog daycare, so Shaina targeted building the biggest name in that vertical.
- She combined a membership-first thesis with proprietary tech to scale convenience and consistency across locations.
Cold Calls Revealed Owners Won't Sell
- Shaina cold‑called 60–80 local daycares and found most owners didn't want to sell.
- That search convinced her to build a new branded distribution approach instead of roll-ups.
Tech As The Operational Backbone
- Shaina built vertical software because off‑the‑shelf tools didn't match the member and operational needs.
- The tech monitors service delivery and member experience to make the model repeatable and scalable.